Apparatus for winding and unwinding films



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. R. MACOMBER APPARATUS FOR WINDING AND UNWINDINGFILMS iled Au ust 24 March 9 1926.

. March 9 1926. V 1,576,343

G. R. MACOMBER I APPARATUS FOR WINDING AND UNWINDING FILMS Filed Au ust24, 1 21 4 Sheets-Shae 2 March 9 1926..

1,576,343 G. R. MACOMBER APPARATUS FOR WINDING AND UNWINDING FILMS 19214 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed August 24 March 9,1926.

G. R. MACOMBER APPARATUS FOR WINDING AND UNWINDING FILMS Filed August24, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 apparatus per se, w

Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. MACOMBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. v

APPARATUS FOR WINDING AND UNWINDING FILMS.

Application filed August 24, 1921. Serial No. 495,007.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. -MACOMBER, ,a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, hEtVGlIlVGIltGd certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Winding and Unwinding Films, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for winding film into a. coil asit is received by the apparatus, and thereafter unwinding it and payingit out from such coil to be fed. The invention is de-' from theapparatus. signed primarily for embodiment in apparatus for receiving anendless film from a picture projecting machine, storing the main bulk ofthe film while it is being constantly received into and delivered fromthe apparatus, and returning the film for reuse in the pictureprojecting machine. But the invention relates to the operative principleand construction of the winding and unwindging hich is adapted for awide variety of uses; hence, the particular application of the inventionherein shown is to be understood as merely illustrative of the inventionand not definitive of its scope.

One object of the invention is to provide a luralityof film windingmembers hereina or referred to as spools with means for mountin themwhich first presents a spool to the winding position in which it takeson the incoming film and coils it into a roll, and then, when the rollhas been built to a suitable size and taken on' the main bulk orlengthin the body of the film, presents it to the unwinding position where thefilm is paid out, the arrangement being such that'as a spool passes fromthe winding to the unwinding position a fresh spool arrives at andenters upon the function of the winding position; the method of wiiidingbeing such that film is doubled upon itself in anchoring it to thewinding spool so that the film is developed into duplex or two-ply coilsand draws from the incoming film as well as from the unwinding spool .inwind ing, and pays out from the spoolin unwinding osition similarly intwo plies, one of whic goes to the subsequently formed coil,

. while the other passes from the apparatus to the place of use.

Further objects are to provide a means located at the winding positionwhich will automatically enter into driving relation with each spool asit arrives thereat; to employ said driving member as the means foranchoring the film to the spool upon which it is to be wound; to providemeans which will ride upon the coil of film as developed, yielding tothe same radially, but non-yieldand adapted to engage the edge of thefilm and justlfy the coils as they are developed;

will be actuated from a common source of power; to provide a clutcharrangement for throwing in and out the drive to cause ing in thedirection of the axis of winding,

withdrawal of the film anchoring and spool revolving member and theshiftin of the carrier to a new. position;'to ,provi e means whereby theexhaustion ofa'f film from the unwinding spool will throw the clutchinto driving relation; to provide means whereby the clutch "when sothrown in by the film will automatically be thrown out as soon as thetrain of functions have been exercised in the several parts.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of theinvention is shown by way of illustration- Figure 1 is an elevationshowing the general arrangement of the carrier, its spools, and certainof the co-acting parts in their relation to a picture projector. Figures2 and 3 are schematic views showing parts of Figure 1, Figure 2 showingthe parts at the completion of winding and unwinding, and Figure3'showing the-position of the parts at ing and unwinding.

Figure 4 is a vertical the machine on a line corresponding to the line P-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on an enlarged scale taken through the machine ina plane corresponding to the line 5 5" of Figure 1.

Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views of the clutchcontrollingmechanism in posithe commencement of windsection takenthrough to move to driving position, and which thrlows the clutch out ofdriving position; an

Figure 8 is a detail view of the clutch which drives the timing cam.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, A represents an endless film, and Bportions of a film storing apparatus constituting the subjectmatter ofthe present invention and designed to receive ,a film from and return itto a picture projector C. Carrier 1, pivoted at 2 and having any desirednumber of arms 3, is equipped with spools 4 pivoted at 5 upon the endsof the arms, and is adapted to be rotated periodically to bring itsseveral spools successively into receiving position R and deliveryposition D. Spools4 are advantageously constructed with radial spokesupon which the film is wound, as this provides recesses between thespokes through means of which to anchor the film in starting the windingoperation. Located near the receiving position R is a combined anchoringand driving pin 6 which is positive ly driven in an orbital path about acenter which coincides with the pintle 5 of the spool 4 when it reachesreceiving position, and the rotation of this pin 6 is timed to presentthe pin in the path of a recess of the spool 4, as indicated in Figure3, at the time the shifting movement of the carrier 1 brings the spoolto receiving position. Inasmuch as the film A intersects both theorbital path of the pin-6 and the carrying path of the spool 4,coincidence of the pin with the recess of the spool depressesthe filmwithin the periphery of the spool and effectively anchors it there, sothat immediately after such interengagement and anchoring the rotation,

which is now imparted to the spool by the .orbital movement of the pin6,clockwise in Figures 1, 2, and 3, causes the film to be wound upon thespool in duplex coils, with one ply a coming in from the receiving sideof the apparatus and the other ply a coming from the previously woundspool'4 no-w occupying t e delivery position D. This action continueswith constant building up of the spool at positionR and reduction of thespool at osition D until film has been exhausted rom position D as shown1n Flgure 2, when the film, under the traction of the feeding mechanismin the projector C, draws taut beneath the guide roller 7 on a clutchactuating arm- 8 to be hereinafter described, raising said arm 8 andthrowing in the clutch to impart a new carrying movement to the carrier1, transferring the now fully developed coil from position R to theposition D, and starting winding of a new coil at position R, assuggested in Figure 3. This cycle of functions continues as long as thefilm is delivered to and drawn from the machine.

In winding the coil at the receiving position R a coil justifier 9 isemployed for properly aligning the coils between the two radial planesdefined by the edges of the film. This j ustifier conslsts of a swingingarm pivoted upon a shaft 10 having torsonial resiliency normally tendingto swing the justifier from the coil B through the medium of pawl andratchet 1.0. Arm 9 has a pin 11 over which the film a travels in amanner to draw the arm toward the coil R, and said arm is furtherprovided with a guide finger 12 which, while the arm is resting upon theperiphery of a coil, engages the edge-of the film and so positions thelatter accurately upon the coil which is building.

To shift the carrier 1 through a definite and accurately measured areappropriate to bring a spool 4 into coincidence with the center ofrevolution of the anchoring and driving pin 6, said carrier has rigidlyconnected with its shaft 2 a star wheel 13 having reentrant lockingfaces 14 which receive the arcuate locking cams 15 of a clutch drivencam wheel 16, and radial driving slots 17 which receive thecircumferentially disposed pins 18 on said cam wheel. As shown in Figure1, as the locking cam 15 revolves out' at the resumption of thisrelation of the parts the clutch which is driving the wheel 16, ashereinafter explained, is automatically thrown out of action, the partsremain in this new position until the previously wound coil is exhaustedfrom the delivery position and a newly wound coil has developed in thereceiving position, when the shifting action is repeated. i

The described movements of the combined anchoring and driving pin 6 willbe understood upon reference to Figures 4 and 5. In order to withdrawthe pin from the developed coil upon the spool 4 and return it to thepath of a recess of the spool 4 as the latter reaches receiving ositionand adapt it to drive said spool f i'om then on until the new coil iscompleted, said pin isconnected through means of a crank arm 19 to awrist collar 20 which slides upon the bearing sleeve 21 surroundingshaft 22 which is constantly driven through a gear oove 16 wheel 16,lever. 24 will throw the collar and with it the pin 6 out of the spool 4and oil the coil that is formed about said spool by a movement in thedirection of the axis of coiling; and after said spool with itsdeveloped coil of film has'moved on from the receiving position, saidpin will move back into the path of the incoming or newly presentedspool, driving connections between the carrier 1 and the cam wheel 16being so timed as to cause this sequence in movement. To develop theorbital or driving movement of the pin 6 about the shaft 22, said shafthas a rigidly mounted driving arm 22, the notched outer end 22 of whichembraces the pin and causes the pin to rotate with the shaft.

The film actuated clutch as best shown in Figures 5 and 8 comprises thedriving member 27, constantly driven through gear wheel 27 and idler 28from the gear wheel 23, and a releasable driven member 29 normallypressed by spring 30 into engage ment with said driving member 27.-Member 29 is keyed to the shaft ,31 of the cam wheel 16 so thatwhenever it is permitted to mesh with the member 27, rotation will beimparted to the cam wheel.

To control the intermeshing of member 29 with member 27, a displacinglever 32 is mounted upon the shaft 33 of thefilm actuated lever 8 andprovided with a displacing wedge 34 adapted to enter in between theclutch members27 and 29. The

general arrangement of these parts will be understood from Figures 4'and5, but their construction is made clearer in Figures 6, 7, and 8. WVedge34 has a bevel face 34 which adapts it to be forced in between theclutch members, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, by the action of a spring35 located between the lower end 32 of lever 32 and an adjustableanchorage pin 36 mounted in post 37. Yielding to the displacinginfluence of the film controlled arm 8, as presently explained, thelever 32 moves the wedge to the position shown in Figure 6 and permitsthe clutch members to come together and establish the drive. Theduration ofdrive is determined by the-take-up in the lead 0, of the filmA acting through roller 7 on the lever 8, as already explained, andinasmuch as this take-up in the film is due to the positive feed of thefilm in the projecting machine, the drive of which is definitely relatedthrough pulley 38 (Figure 4) belt 39, pulley 40, and pinion 41 to therotation of the pinion 23, the motion of which is transmitted to theclutch, the duration of drive of the cam wheel '16 which throws the pin6 in and out-and advances the carrier 1 can readily be predetermlned. I

In order that lever8 may act on lever 32 during the take-up of thefilm'lead a and then automatically release said lever 32 to the actionof its spring 35, shaft 33 of lever 8 carries the rock arm 42 which inturn carries pawl 43 presented by spring 44 in position to engage thestud 45 on the lower end 32 of the lever 32, but said pawl has atail-piece 43 which, toward the end of movement of lever '8 and arm 42,drags over the fixed post 37 and withdraws the forward end of the pawl43 from the stud 45, thereby releasing lever 32 andlpermitting thelatter to disengage the clutch after the necessary revolution has beenimparted to the cam wheel 16 to rotate the carrier 1 to a new positionand to move the .pin longitudinally away from and back to the spool 4.

I claim: I

1. In a film winding apparatus, a winding spool, a spool revolvingmember, means for directing a film between the spool andvthe revolvingmember, and means for bringing the spool and revolving member togetherinto spool-revolving relation, thereby clamping the film therebetween.

. 2. In a film winding apparatus, a winding spool, a spool revolvingmember, means for driving said member in an orbital path, means fordirecting a film between the spool and revolving member, and means forbringing the spool and revolving member together into spool-revolvingrelation, thereby clamping the film therebetween.

3. In a film winding apparatus, a windingspool having a recess, a spoolrevolving member, means for directing a film between the spool andrevolving member, and means for bringing the revolving member intooperative engagement with the recess in said spool, thereby clamping thefilm against the spool within said recess.

4. In a film winding apparatus, a spool carrier, a spool mounted on saidcarrier provided with a film-receiving recess, a driving pin having anorbital path intersecting the path through which said recess is moved bythe carrier, means imparting movement to the carrier, and meansimparting an orbital movement to the pin timed to cause the pin andrecess to coincide.

.5. In a film winding apparatus, a carrier, a spool mounted to revolveupon said carrier and adapted to be moved by the latter to receivingposition, a driving pin for said" spool having ,an orbital movementabout an axis lying in the path of the axis of rotation of said spool,and means arresting the carrier with said axes in coincidence.

6. In a film winding apparatus, a revolving carrier, a rotary spoolmounted on said carrier, a driving pin revolving about a center locatedin the path of the axis of said spool, means imparting a periodic rotarymotion to the carrier, means for imparting orbital movement to the pinabout its center of revolution, and driving connection between the twosaid means to establish a timed relation between their movements.

7. In a film winding machine, a spool having a recess, a pin adapted toenter said recess and having a movement in the direction of the axis ofthe spool to withdraw it therefrom, a shaft coaxial with the spool uponwhich the pin is mounted to slide, and a radial arm on said shaftrecessed to receive the pin and transmit orbital movement to the pin andcause the pin to drive the spool.

8. In a film winding machine, a winding spool, a carrier upon which saidspool is mounted and by which the spool is presented in film-receivingposit-ion, a pin supported adjacent said position and in the carryingpath of the spool, a lever adapted to withdraw said pin from the spoolin the direction of the axis of winding, a cam imparting movement tosaid lever, a clutch controlling said cam, and means whereby the filmcontrols said clutch.

9. In a film winding machine, a Winding spool, a carrier upon which saidspool is mounted and by which the spool is presented in film-receivingposition, a pin supported adjacent said position and in the carryingpath of the spool, a lever adapted to withdraw said pin from the spoolin the direction of the axis of winding, a cam imparting movement tosaid lever and carrier, a clutch controlling said cam, and means wherebythe film controls said clutch.

10. Ina film winding machine, a Winding spool, a carrier upon which saidspool is mounted and by which the spool is presented in film-receivingposition, a pin supported adjacent said position and in the carryingpath of the spool, a lever adapted to withdraw said pin from the spoolin the direction of the axis of winding and return it to the path of aspool approaching receiving position, a cam imparting relativelytimedmovements to said lever and carrier, a clutch controlling said cam, andmeans whereby the film controls said clutch.

11. In a film winding machine, a carrier, a spool rotatably mounted uponsaid carrier and presented thereby in film-receiving position, a drivingpin for said spool, a shaft for revolving said pin, and means slidingthe pin longitudinally of said shaft out of and into driving relation tothe spool.

12. In a film winding apparatus, a rotatable spool, a carrier adapted topresent the spool in film-receiving position, a shaft supported in axialalignment with the spool when the latter is in receiving position, a

collar sliding longitudinally upon said shaft, a pin carried by andoffset from saidcollar in position to coact with the spool, and meansfor periodically moving the collar to withdraw and return the pin.

13. In a film winding machine, a spool, a

carrier which advances said spool from one position to another, a starwheel controlling said carrier, and a cam Wheel controlling said starwheel locking the star wheel aginst rotation during a portion of the rotation of the cam wheel and engaging the star wheel to impart rotationthereto during another portion of the-rotation of the cam wheel.

14. In a film winding machine, a winding spool, a carrier movable topresent the spool in different positions, a star wheel controlling saidcarrier having reentrant circumferential locking recesses and propellingslots, and a cam wheel having an arcuate cam surface engaging areentrant recess of the star wheel during a portion of the rotation ofthe cam wheel and having a driving stud engaging a propelling slot ofthe star wheel during another portion of the rotation of the cam wheel.

15. In a. film winding machine, a spool, a carrier adapted to presentsaid spool in successive positions, a spool revolving means coactingwith the spool and presented by the carrier in one position, a cam wheelhaving a locking engagement and a propelling engagement with saidcarrier, and means for withdrawing the spool propelling means, coactingwith said cam wheel.

16. In a film winding machine, a spool, means imparting movement to saidspool, a clutch for driving the movement imparting means a control forsaid clutch comprising a film actuated lever, a clutch lever actuatedthereby, and a trip connection between said levers.

17. In a film winding machine, a spool, means imparting movement to saidspool, a clutch for driving the movement imparting means, a control forsaid clutch comprising a film actuated lever, a clutch lever actuated.thereby, and a trip connection between said levers; said clutch levernormally assuming displacing relation to said clutch.

18. In a film winding machine, a spool, means imparting movement to saidspool, a clutch for driving the movement imparting means, a control forsaid clutch comprising a film actuated lever, a clutch lever actuatedthereby, and atrip connection between said levers; said trip comprisinga pawl carried by one of said levers, a stud an endless film, a movablecarrier, a plurality of reels on said carrier, means for moving saidcarrier to bring the reels successively into winding position, means fordoubling said film and winding said doubled film on the reel which is inwinding position, and means engaging the film and operated by thetension thereof to actuate said carrier moving means.

20. A device for handling record strips for record controlled machinerycomprising a rotatable frame, three spools thereon, one of said spoolsholding the portion of the strip which is being unwound, and anotherspool holding the portion of the strip which is being Wound, the portionbeing wound and the portion being unwound being double, a controllingpart about which the strip passes and which is moved by the strip whenthe Wound roll becomes unwound, and mechanism controlled by said partfor rotating said frame so as to move the spool which has been woundinto the unwinding position.

Signed at Chicago,lllinois, this 22nd day of August, 1921.

GEORGE R. MAOOMBER.

